There are five elementary schools within the Lakeland district and some special education programs are housed only in specific buildings.  All elementary buildings provide consultant teacher, resource room and special class reading services as well as all related services (counseling, speech/language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision and hearing services) as recommended by a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP).

In addition:

Benjamin Franklin provides a co-teach program in all grades K-5.  An integrated co-teaching class (ICT) is one in which special education students are educated in a classroom containing both students with IEPs and general education students, as well as both a general education teacher and special education teacher.  In each integrated co-teaching class, there are no more than 12 students with an IEP. Support is provided through specially designed instruction, differentiation, and/or modification of grade level expectations.  Students in an integrated co-teaching class are expected to participate in the same state and local assessments as their grade level peers with the appropriately recommended testing accommodations. 

Van Cortlandtville provides special classes (15:1:1) for grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, and George Washington provides a special class program (15:1:1) in grade 5.  Special class students receive instruction commensurate with a prioritized curriculum.  With the prioritized curriculum the majority of instruction targets only the essential elements of the corresponding grade level curriculum; this provides additional instructional time and practice of these essential elements.  At all levels, special classes provide support in English/language arts, math, science, humanities, and/or social studies.  Students in a special class program are expected to participate in the same state and local assessments as their grade level peers with the appropriately recommended testing accommodations.

Van Cortlandtville also houses Aspire classes for students with autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays or significant communication deficits.  Aspire services students with various classifications including, but not limited to: Autism, Speech/Language Impairment, Multiple Disabilities, and Down syndrome.

Instruction in the Aspire program is based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis.  Student IEP goals are progress monitored and driven by daily data collection.  Students in the program are assessed using either the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) or the ELA, Math, and Science state assessments.  

It is through the Committee on Special Education (CSE) that specific programs are recommended.  Special education teachers provide differentiated instruction based on a student's strengths, challenges and individual learning style.